In 2024, there were 28,121 PIP claimants with CFS listed as their main disabling condition by the DWP. (ME is not used in the DWP's classification). This makes it 25th most common condition to get an award of PIP for, out of over 500 conditions listed by the DWP.
So, if you have ME/CFS and it affects your daily living activities, such as cooking, washing, dressing or mixing with other people or your ability to get around, you should definitely consider making a claim.
Learn more or take the test
You can read more about claiming PIP for ME/CFS or take our simple online test now to find out if you might be able to make a claim.
Success rates
[Please note: the percentages below may not add up to 100%, due to rounding].
The success rate for PIP claims for ME/CFS is 54%, compared to an overall average of 53%. So you have a very slightly better than average chance of getting an award for ME/CFS.
Award rates
35% of PIP claimants with ME/CFS, get the enhanced rate of both the daily living and the mobility component.
Daily living awards
Enhanced daily living 41%
Standard daily living 55%
No daily living 4%
Mobility awards
Enhanced mobility 54%
Standard mobility 29%
No mobility 17%
96% of claimants with ME/CFS who get an award get the daily living component, compared to 83% who get the mobility component.
Age range
The ages of those currently in receipt of PIP for ME/CFS are:
- 16-29 years 12%
- 30-49 years 36%
- 50-64 years 39%
- 65 and over 13%
PIP rates
The rates of PIP from April 2024 are:
Daily Living component
Standard rate: £72.65
Enhanced rate: £108.55
Mobility component
Standard rate: £28.70
Enhanced rate: £75.75
So, an award of the enhanced rate of PIP for both components means an extra £184.30 a week.
PIP is paid on top of almost every other benefit and may lead to an increase in some benefits or entitlement to additional benefits.
The enhanced rate of the mobility component also gives access to the Motability scheme.
How you qualify for PIP
This information applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland – Scotland has a separate system. You need to be aged at least 16 before you can receive PIP and you need to start your claim before you reach state pension age.
The best way to decide whether you might be eligible for PIP is to look through this list of PIP activities and think about the ways that your condition affects your ability to carry them out. You are awarded points according to the level of difficulty you have with each of these activities, with sufficient points leading to an award of PIP.
Daily living activities
There are 10 daily living activities:
- Preparing food
- Taking nutrition
- Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition
- Washing and bathing
- Managing toilet needs or incontinence
- Dressing and undressing
- Communicating verbally
- Reading and understanding signs, symbols and words
- Engaging with other people face-to-face
- Making budgeting decisions
Mobility activities
There are two mobility activities:
- Planning and following journeys
- Moving around
Remember that you need to be able to complete the activities
- to a reasonable standard,
- safely,
- repeatedly
- taking no more than twice as long as it would take a person without a health condition.
Points for ME/CFS
Below are some examples of the issues that you might have because of ME/CFS. Do remember, that if you have other conditions, you can take those into account too.
You may be unable to lift pans or other objects in the kitchen due to pain, stiffness or fatigue. Or you may find that you can lift them but are prone to dropping things or your hands seizing up. You may need another person to assist you.
Brain fog may impact upon your ability to follow processes and concentrate on tasks so you may find you are safer using a microwave to heat food rather than trying to heat it on the stove.
You may have difficulty cutting up food because of pain, fatigue or stiffness in your hands. You may need to use adapted cutlery.
Due to brain fog, you may have difficulty remembering to eat and drink and may need prompting to do so. You might have lost weight because of this or have been prescribed special drinks to help you with your weight.
Because of forgetfulness, you may need an aid (such as a timer, automatic pill dispenser or dosette box) to take medication reliably.
You may remember that you need your medication but are physically unable to get it out of the packets. You may need an aid, such as a pill popper, to access your medication.
You may get dizzy in the shower or bath meaning that you need an aid, such as a shower seat or grab rails, to keep you safe.
Muscle twitches or spasms may cause you difficulties with grip and so you may need an aid to help you squeeze shower gel or shampoo from the bottles.
If you suffer from dizziness, especially when moving from sitting to standing, you may need an aid to help you get on and off the toilet, such as a toilet frame or raised seat.
You may be able to dress yourself without help but, because of fatigue, this might take you more than twice as long as it would take someone who does not have ME/CFS.
Due to being physically or cognitively fatigued, you might start a sentence and forget what you were trying to say or what the topic of conversation was. Someone may need to remind you so that you can finish your response.
You may experience blurred vision or sensitivity to light, which makes it difficult to read or to understand written information. You may need an aid, such as dark glasses or a tinted overlay, to help you.
Fatigue and brain fog may make it difficult for you to follow written information, leading to you having to read it repeatedly and taking more than twice as long as someone without ME/CFS.
Low mood caused by constantly feeling fatigued may mean that you need prompting or support to mix with other people.
Difficulties with memory or concentration may make it hard for you to follow a conversation unless someone prompts you to join in
You may need support with decisions about money because you cannot remember what you have paid or when a bill is due.
Brain fog may prevent you from being able to follow timetables or read maps to plan a journey or may mean that you take more than twice as long as someone who does not have CFS/ME.
Extreme fatigue or anxiety may prevent you from being able to travel by public transport.
Your ability to stand and move may be severely limited by pain, stiffness and fatigue.
Benefits and Work members can also download a ‘PIP for ME/CFS Supplementary Guide’ from the PIP Guides page with even more examples and case studies, to complement our main guide to claiming PIP.
Take the next step
Claiming PIP isn't easy. And getting the correct award is even harder.
But there are things you can do to greatly increase your chances of getting the right result.
One of them is to use our highly detailed, step-by-step Guide to PIP claims and reviews, which will support you through every stage of the system.
Because filling in the 37 page PIP2 ‘How your disability affects you’ form in as much detail as possible is vital.
It not only means you are giving accurate and consistent evidence from the outset, it also improves your chances of overturning an unfair decision if you have to go to appeal.
Our guide takes you through the PIP2 form, box-by-box, explaining the kind of information you need to put in each one.
Being fully prepared for an assessment is vital too. Knowing what questions you are likely to be asked and what unspoken assumptions may be made based on your answers, unless you deal with them, can make all the difference. Our guide will ensure you are as ready as you possibly can be.
And because we’ve been supporting claimants for 20 years and have a community of thousands of members who keep us updated with their experiences, we can make sure you are prepared for any unfair tactics the DWP might employ.
And we have guides to every other part of your PIP claim too, from mandatory reconsideration, to appeal to review. Plus a forum where you can ask questions, regular news items and more.
So, whether you’ve tried claiming PIP before and been unsuccessful, or you’ve never had any experience of the benefits system, join the Benefits and Work community to give yourself the best possible chance of getting the right award.
Even if you are not ready to subscribe to the site yet, you can download our guide to ‘The First Steps To PIP Success’ for free and also join the 120,000 people who subscribe to our free fortnightly newsletter.
